Man sentenced for secret camera in London museum toilet

A head paper conservator who has previously worked in
Auckland has been sentenced for installing a secret camera in
a toilet at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

A British court has heard Michael Wheeler, 54, an expert in
ancient manuscripts at the museum, installed the camera for
his own sexual gratification.

He has been sentenced to 12 months supervision after pleading
guilty to charges of voyeurism, the Daily Mail newspaper
reports.

The Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard Wheeler, who has
lectured all over the world including in New Zealand, also
kept a collection of women's clothes, wigs and make-up under
his desk and told police: "I suffer from a sexual addiction."

He also filmed himself installing the covert camera inside
the toilet door's coat hook.

"Clearly you gave some thought to this and there were two
devices for recording," District Judge James Henderson told
Wheeler, who worked as the head paper conservator at the
Auckland City Art Gallery in the late 1980s.

Prosecutor Tom Gill told the court a woman using a staff
disabled toilet on the fourth floor of the Victoria and
Albert Museum found the covert camera on August 10.

"The memory card was viewed and among the images of males and
females using the lavatory was this defendant attaching the
camera and sitting back and viewing his handiwork," Mr Gill
said.

Wheeler was also ordered to sign a sex offenders register for
five years, attend up to 25 counselling sessions and pay 85
pounds ($160) in court costs.